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Honor to Those Who Have Fallen

The healing that is being manifested and the opportunity to bring tribute is such an amazing place to be that it goes beyond establishing a national flag. Personable, caring, compassionate, thoughtful and athletic! These words describe one of our heroes Corporal George Lutz II, (Tony) who died in Iraq on December 29, 2005, six weeks after arriving at age 25. George Lutz Sr., his father lost his son to a snipers bullet. The second of five children, Tony enjoyed being around people. Lutz Sr. was proud of his sons decision to serve. He says Tony was a very gregarious and personable person. He would walk into a room and know everybody and everyone would know him when he left. He was that kind of person, very warm, friendly, always trying to put people at ease, always trying to make light of things and keep people happy. That was one of the things he liked to do, make sure that people were having a good time. Lutz Sr. believes his son saw the service as some place he could grow, have a career and do some of the things he loved to do. I think that one of the things that led him into the Army specifically was that they had a job description and title for a Psychological Operations position, in effect, marketing. It is what is called persuasive communications. That was what he loved to do. It was what Tony loved, to get things going in his direction or in a specific direction. Once he found that niche he thought it could be something really exciting. I think one of their mottos (whose motto) is Win the Mind, Win the Day. That appealed to him. That is how he ended up in the service, Lutz Sr. said. The commitment of Tony's  service to America inspired his father to create something that would stand as a permanent reminder of the dedication of the many warriors who have proudly served America The death of Lutz Jr. inspired his father to become an advocate for all those who have fallen including, those who fought in Korea and Vietnam. Lutz inspiration was an evolution that began as a search, gravitating toward 25 years of his sons memorabilia. He searched for pictures, letters, videotapes, emails and other items. That search lasted for months. Everything he found was important, even a scrap of paper that might have had his dads name on it. At certain times of the year we pay tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives for us. George Sr. has dedicated his life to paying a lasting tribute to military families year round. He says it is one of the only circumstances of death where a healthy individual puts his life on the line, other than the civil service, and says I am willing to go out there and be shot at for you. I wanted to know what the country was doing to remember that and I began to look for those kinds of memorials and memories. I went to many funerals of other families; I went to memorials and I saw my sons name on walls. Many were what I call one-off tributes. But those were mostly military related. There are a very few things in our nation that are national. I was looking for that national symbol and I could not find anything. I kept seeing P.O.W. flags everywhere. And I was thinking, wow, that is such a wonderful tribute to those individuals who were captured or missing. But the total population of those who have given their lives outweighs those numbers. Why do they not have a tribute? They should have an emblem. I began to explore if there was one like that, which there was not. George Sr. has created a flag that stands as a symbol for all of those who have fallen. The flag designed by him and his youngest son is presented to families who have lost loved ones in wars dating back to the Vietnam War. Since launching the project on Memorial Day, 2008 his organization has donated over 130 personalized flags. He has three goals: one, to have it established as a national flag; two, to bring public awareness to this distinctive flag; and three, to reach out to surviving family members who have lost a son or daughter. We are reaching back, not knowing that there is anybody living beyond the Korean War but reaching out to those families we can find from that era forward and trying to raise funds and have organizations sponsor flags for families. There are many ways that can happen. That is where we are now, one year later. A bill is pending in Congress and many cities have endorsed the flag. The state of Pennsylvania is endorsing it and the state of Virginia is writing legislation regarding the flag. I wanted it to be eye-catching, distinctive and yet simple. So the design is based on military and universal symbolism, said Lutz Sr. The red and white sealed background represents the blood and purity of sacrifice of that individual. The blue star goes back to World War I when a blue star was displayed by military families in their windows or on doors or hung as a banner to signify that they had a family member in combat or in the military. The number of stars displayed represented the number of family members in the military service. The gold star overlaying the blue star goes back to the same era. When someone was killed, a gold star would be placed over the blue star. This would indicate that the service member would not be returning home. The folded flag underneath signifies a tribute that is given to a family at the memorial service for their loved one. The flames above the flag indicate what we hear constantly, we will always remember, we will never forget and that stands as an eternal flame and we will have that flame of remembrance. The word Honor and Remember means we will always honor their sacrifices and remember them by name. When we put a name under that, then we can specifically give tribute to that life by name. It becomes personal to the family members. Most of the flags are presented in a public venue so that everyone realizes the importance of that individual to the family and that regardless of the era they need to be remembered for what they have done for us. George Sr. has presented flags to families of service members who served in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Gulf War, Grenada, and Vietnam. George says, we have been in front of Vietnam moms who were in tears, just shaking their heads and saying 40 years; this is the first time my son has been remembered by name. I cannot separate myself, it is impossible. So, I have to embrace the pain of those that I touch and it is a difficult place to be but it is such a rewarding place to be. Since the inception of Honor and Remember, his life has been touched enormously by those who thank him for his generosity and dedication to remembering all of those who have fallen. When asked what words come to mind when he thinks of his son, George replied, the first thing that comes to mind is loyalty. It was just the kind of person he was and what he believed in; not just in his service but in his life. He was a very strong Christian and very loyal to his beliefs. He was a very loyal father, very loyal husband, very loyal son. I am sure there are many other words that he would embody. Very loving, very giving, very selfless, courageous, engaging. Lutz Sr. is on a mission to change the mindset of the nation and that is why Honor and Remember exists.

By Monica Davis